Electrical components such as sensors are often located in remote locations relative to a central control unit. In automotive applications, for example, sensors such as wheel sensors, transmission sensors, crank speed sensors, and cam shaft sensors typically are located remotely relative to a central electronic control unit (ECU). For various reasons, such as prevention of electrical overstress (EOS) over the harness or determination of DC offsets, additional electronic components may be required in close proximity to a sensor. Such additional components may include resistors and capacitors alone or in a resistor capacitor (RC) network configuration. For technological and/or cost reasons, such additional components often cannot be embedded in a sensing element.
In cases where several additional components are needed in close proximity to a sensing element, a printed circuit board (PCB) typically is placed between the sensing element and the connector terminals, and the additional components are populated on the PCB. The necessity of an additional PCB significantly increases the cost of the assembly and also may raise reliability issues due to induced electrical stress, space limitations, and the extra soldering and welding involved.